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Guidebook · Unit 3 · A1

Navigating the City

Regular -ar verbs and asking for directions

  1. 1

    Hablar, andar, comprar: the -ar pattern

    One set of endings for most Spanish verbs — plus questions, no and short answers.

    • Regular -ar verbs: drop the -ar, add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.
    • hablar (speak), andar (walk), comprar (buy), estudiar (study) — and hundreds more — all work this way.
    • The ending already says who, so the pronoun is usually dropped: Hablo inglés.
    • No helper do: questions keep their word order (or put the verb first), and no goes before the verb.
    • A Spanish "no" answer often doubles up: No, no hablo alemán.
    Open lesson
  2. 2

    Places in town: hay and está

    The shops and places of a Madrid neighbourhood, hay versus está, and the little words al and del.

    • Places: la calle, la plaza, la esquina, la panadería, la farmacia, la librería, el supermercado, el banco, el centro.
    • Hay (there is / there are) never changes: Hay una farmacia en la esquina.
    • Está / están for where a specific thing is: La farmacia está en la esquina.
    • Only two fusions: a + el = al, de + el = del — cerca del metro, but cerca de la plaza.
    • cerca de (near), lejos de (far from), al lado de (next to), enfrente de (opposite).
    • Librería is a bookshop; a library is a biblioteca.
    Open lesson
  3. 3

    Out and about: speaking to strangers with usted

    Use -ar verbs with usted and ustedes, get someone's attention politely, and handle a quick errand.

    • Usted takes the él / ella form, ustedes the ellos / ellas form: ¿Habla usted inglés? ¿Buscan ustedes la estación?
    • Keep usted in the sentence when habla or busca could be unclear — it also sounds polite.
    • Get a stranger's attention with Disculpe… or Perdone…; a friend's with Disculpa… or Perdona…
    • In Spain tú is widespread; usted is for older people, official settings and showing respect.
    • New -ar verbs: necesitar, tomar, llegar, trabajar, pagar.
    Open lesson
  4. 4

    ¿Dónde está la librería? Asking the way

    Left, right and todo recto — and Marina's hunt for a bookshop in the centre of Madrid.

    • Stop someone with Disculpe or Perdone, then ask ¿Dónde está…? or ¿Hay … por aquí?
    • Being lost is a state: Estoy perdido / perdida.
    • Directions: a la derecha, a la izquierda, todo recto, en la esquina, en el semáforo, al final de la calle.
    • Instructions: gire / gira (turn), siga / sigue (carry on), coja / coge (take), cruce / cruza (cross).
    • Directions often come as landmarks — and a dos pasos can still be a decent walk.
    • ¡Eso es! confirms you've got it: “Exactly.”
    Open lesson
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